Hi! My name is Olena and I'm from Warsaw, Poland, although my family is originally from Ukraine. In 2014-2015 I was a Rotary Youth Exchange student in the United States (Wisconsin). I finished high school there and decided to take a gap year, volunteering in the Adults' Rehabilitation Center in Bellac, France as a part of the European Voluntary Service. Currently, I'm completing my bachelor degree at the Warsaw School of Economics. During my studies I also did an Erasmus exchange in Turku, Finland. Although International Economics is my main field of study, I think there's more to life than business, so I've also started a bachelor degree in Cultural Anthropology at the University of Warsaw and I'm in love with it :)

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

I've always been interested in foreign countries and people. That was one of the reasons I decided to go on exchange, even though it meant leaving my friends and family behind for a whole year. Being an exchange student in Wisconsin, I met a whole bunch of wonderful people from all over the world thanks to the meetings organized by Rotary. This experience has increased my desire to travel and meet new people. That's how I ended up at Couchsurfing...

Interests

• culture
• books
• singing
• human rights
• traveling
• music
• anthropology
• languages
• sociology
• volunteering
• tv series
• social justice
• latin america
• musicals
• nordic culture
• hamilton
• everything foreign

Music, Movies, and Books

There are too many books that I like to list all of them here... One of my recent findings is "Born in Blood and Fire: A Concise History of Latin America" by John Charles Chasteen, which I truly recommend. I am also a TV series nerd (some of my favorites are Sherlock BBC, Doctor Who, NBC Hannibal, Suits, Orphan Black, Friends, HIMYM, OITNB, House MD, Broadchurch, Jane the Virgin, New Girl and more). As for the music, I listen to all kind of things, it's difficult to point at a specific genre, although my latest passion is Hamilton (the Broadway musical). Some artists I like: Regina Spektor, Zaz, The Cranberries, Okean Elzy, Imany; I also listen to a lot of movie soundtracks.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

I would say my exchange year in the US as a whole. It was an amazing experience in all kind of ways!

What I Can Share with Hosts

I am interested in a lot of things, so I am sure we would find a topic to talk about. Personally, I can share my knowledge of Poland and Ukraine (which is where my family is from!) - culture, traditions, as well as the current situation. I will also be happy to tell you about the things I've learned during my stay in the United States, in France, and in Finland.

Countries I’ve Visited

Austria, Czech Republic, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Romania, Slovakia, Turkey, Ukraine, United Kingdom, United States, Åland Islands

Countries I’ve Lived In

Finland, France, Poland, United States